The Holy Priesthood is conferred, as an individual bestowal, upon men only, an this in accordance with Divine requirement. It is not given to woman to exercise the authority of the Priesthood independently; nevertheless, in the sacred endowments associated with the ordinances pertaining to the House of the Lord, woman shares with man the blessings of the Priesthood.
The female part of community are apt to be contracted in their views. You must not be contracted, but you must be liberal in your feelings.
..it is natural for females to have feelings of charity...
President Spencer W. Kimball explained: “To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times.” President Nelson has likewise implored: “I plead with my sisters of [the] Church … to step forward! Take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your community, and in the kingdom of God—more than you ever have before.”
Men and women are equal in God’s eyes and in the eyes of the Church, but equal does not mean the same. The responsibilities and divine gifts of men and women differ in their nature but not in their importance or influence. God does not regard either gender as better or more important than the other.
If I were Satan...I would keep women so distraught and distracted that they would never find calming strength and serenity...catching them in the crunch of trying to be superhuman instead of realistically striving to reach their individual purpose and unique God-given potential. We must have the courage to be imperfect.
The Lord has blessed His daughters with certain distinctive, divine gifts--including, said Joseph Smith, "feelings of charity," which result in an innate ability and desire to nurture and love. The gift of charity is the culminating gift of the Spirit, for it embodies almost all others. And women are blessed with a propensity for this gift.
Women are not required to hold the priesthood to enter the house of the Lord, though the ordinances performed there are priesthood in nature, whereas men are. Neither are women required to hold the priesthood to serve as leaders in the Church.
Gender is not, and has never been, a qualifier for receiving the blessings of priesthood power.
As women, we do ourselves an injustice if we assume that only men need to understand the priesthood. And we diminish God's power when we equate *holders of the priesthood* with *priesthood power.* Statements such as, "We would like to thank the priesthood for setting up the chairs," or "I'm so grateful to have the priesthood in my home" are not accurate and do not do the priesthood justice. Priesthood holders are men. "The priesthood" refers to keys, authority, and power--God's power.
Our sisters do not wish to be indulged or to be treated condescendingly; they desire to be respected and revered as our sisters and our equals. I mention [this], my brethren, not because the doctrines or teachings of the Church regarding women are in any doubt, but because in some situations our behavior is of doubtful quality.